HEKAYA ZA ABUNUWASI: ABUNUWASI NA HUKUMU YA KIJANA
Hapo zamani za kale katika nchi moja Afrika, paliishi mama mmoja ambaye
alikuwa mjane. Muda mfupi tu kabla ya mumewe kufariki walijaliwa mtoto
mmoja wa kiume ambaye huyo mama alimlea kwa shida na taabu nyingi. Hata
hivyo mama na mtoto wake walipendana ipasavyo. Hapo katika kijiji chao
kulikuwa pia na tajiri mmoja ambaye alikuwa bahili na katili kweli. Yule
kijana maskini alikwenda kwa tajiri kuomba kazi. Tajiri alimwambia
kwamba alikuwa na kazi kwake na angemlipa vizuri sana.
Kijana alifurahi kusikia hivyo na akamwuliza tajiri kwa furaha.
"Kazi gani hiyo utanipa mheshimiwa? Mimi nitaifanya vizuri mpaka hata wewe utafurahia."
Tajiri akamwambia, "Ukilala katika maji baridi sana usiku mzima,
nitakupa shillingi laki moja." Ulikuwa wakati wa baridi sana kwamba maji
ya ziwa karibu yagandamane kuwa theluji kwa baridi.
Lo! Kijana hakufikiria angeweza kuwa na pesa nyingi hivyo katika maisha
yake. Tamaa ya kutaka kumsaidia mama yake ambaye wakati huo alikuwa
mgonjwa na mzee, ilikuwa kubwa sana kwa hivyo akakubali bila kufikiria.
Mama aliposikia habari hizo karibu azimie kwa wasiwasi na huzuni.
"Mwanangu sitaki uhatarishe maisha yako kwa sababu ya pesa. Mungu yuko
nasi na hajatuacha hata siku moja tukalala njaa. Atazidi kufanya hivyo
hivyo. Je, ukifa nitabaki na nani mwanangu? Mimi mzee sasa wala
sijiwezi!" Kijana alimjibu,
"Mama usiwe na wasiwasi wala woga wo wote! Nitaweza kabisa kulala kwenye
maji baridi mpaka asubuhi na siwezi kufa" Mama bado alizidi kubisha,
lakini kijana alisisitiza kabisa kwamba lazima afanye hiyo kazi ambayo
itawaondolea shida zote za kifedha, kama alivyoona yeye.
Kwa huruma ya mama na wasiwasi juu ya mtoto wake, alikwenda karibu na
ziwa pale alimotumbukizwa mtoto wake kwenye maji baridi kama barafu,
Alimwona kichwa tu kimelea juu ya maji. Mama aliwasha moto mkubwa karibu
na ziwa lile kwenye ufa, ili aweze kumwangazia angalao mwangaza na
kumwona. Usiku kucha mama mtu hakufunguka jicho hata dakika moja.
Alimlilia Mungu amtunze mwanae asife kwa baridi.
Kwa huruma ya Mwenyezi Mungu, kijana alistahimili baridi yote ile mpaka alfajiri siku ya pili.
Alikwenda kwa tajiri kupokea malipo yake lakini tajiri akamwambia.
"Hupati hata ndururu ng'o!"
"Kijana
alishangaa akamwuliza, "Kwa nini mheshimiwa? Uliniahidi kunipa shillingi
laki moja nikilala katika maji yabaridi usiku mzima. Usiku mzima
nilikuwa ndani ya maji hayo na shahidi wako wameshuhudia na pia mama
yangu."
"Ehe, hapo
sasa umenena. Mamako aliyekuwashia moto ili upate joto usiku mzima. Hayo
ndiyo yalikuwa maagano yetu? Sikumbuki tukiagana kwamba mama yako
atakuja na kuwasha moto mkubwa wa kukupa joto kisha unidanganye umelala
kwenye maji ya baridi. Unaniona mimi bwege sio? Nenda zako, sikulipi cho
chote."
Kijana
alikasirika kweli na akamweleza jirani yake mzee Abunuasi. Kama kuna
watu Abunuasi aliowazira, ni matajiri waliopenda kuwaangamiza maskini
badala ya kuwasaidia. Abunuasi akamwambia kijana asiwe na wasiwasi
kwamba rafiki yake Sultan atamsaidia. Akamwambia aende kwake na
kumweleza habari zote. Kijana alifuata ushauri wa Abunuasi, lakini
Sultani aliposikia kisa chote kutoka pande zote mbili aliamua kwamba
kijana asipate malipo kamwe. Abunuasi alishangaa na uamuzi huo wa
Sultani mzima wa nchi akamwambia kijana bado asiwe na wasiwasi atapata
hela zake. Kijana alimwahidi Abunuasi kumpa shillingi elfu ishirini
akimsaidia.
Abunuasi aliandaa karamu kubwa na akawaalika watu wengi pamoja na
Sultani na yule tajiri pia. Alichinja mbuzi akatayarisha vitu vyote,
mchele, mboga zikakatwakatwa na kuwekwa kando. Moto mkubwa uliwahswa na
kila kitu kikawekwa kando ya moto, nyama ya mbuzi katika sufuria pamoja
na vitunguu na viungo. Mboga, mchele, zote zikawekwa kando ya moto na
Abunuasi akaenda kuwakaribisha wageni wake. Wageni walingojea chakula
siku kutwa hawakuona hata maji ya kunywa. Abunuasi aliwaambia kwamba
chakula bado kinapikwa jikoni na wala hakijawa tayari. Itabidi wangojee.
Mwisho walikasirika na kuingia wote katika jiko. Walikuta moto unawaka
vizuri na kando ya huo moto chakula chote walichokuwa wakikingojea kiko
kando ya moto huo mkubwa. Sultani akiwa mmoja wa wale waliokuwa na njaa
alisema.
"Abunuasi wewe akili zako zinafanya kazi? Hiki chakula ulisema
kinapikwa? Mbona moto uko kando na chakula kando? Hakitaiva hata baada
ya miaka elfu. Wewe mwehu kweli kama watu wanavyokusema. Unatulisha njaa
siku nzima?"
"Usiwe na wasiwasi Sultan, chakula kitaiva tu! Subira huvuta kheri mheshimiwa."
"Acha upuzi na ubwege. Hiki chakula hakitaiva kamwe. Hakipati hata joto la moto huo hata kama mkali kiasi gani"
"Kwa nini
kisiive mheshimiwa? Wewe uliamua kesi ya kijana maskini asilipwe na huyu
tajiri nduli alipomlazimisha kulala kwenye maji baridi usiku mzima. Kwa
njaa na umaskini wake, alikubali. Naye mama yake kwa upendo wa mwanae,
alilala kando ya ziwa akimumlikia mwanae ili apate kumwona tu kama
angali hai. Wewe uliamua asilipwe kwa sababu ya huo mwangaza
aliyemlikiwa na mamake. Basi na hiki chakula kutokana na uamuzi wako
lazima kiive hivyo hivyo moto ukiwa kando." Sultani aliona aibu kweli
mbele ya watu hao wote, na akaamuru tajiri amlipe kijana pesa zake mara
moja na Sultani akampa Abunuasi zawadi kubwa kwa sababu ya ubusara wake.
Baada ya hayo yote kukamilika, chakula kiliwekwa juu ya moto, kikaiva
na wote wakala.
Wote walimshukuru Abunuwasi sana!
Abunuasi and the judgement of a youth.
Long time
ago in part of Africa, there lived a widow. A short time before her
husband died, they were blessed with a baby boy whom the mother brought
up single handed with a lot of difficulties and hardship. Despite these,
the mother and her son had a wonderful relationship. There in their big
village lived also a very rich man, who was very stingy and very evil.
The poor young man went to the rich man to ask for a job. The rich man
said in pride that he had a very good job for him and he would pay him
very well.
The boy was
excited and asked, “What kind of a job will you give me your excellence?
Whatever the job is I will do it well that you would be happy too.
“If you
sleep in a cold see for the whole night, I will give you one hundred
thousand shillings.” It was a very cold season that the water at the see
was almost at a freezing point and the rich man knew it. Oh! The boy
had never thought of possessing such an amount of money in his life. The
great wish to help his mother at her old age was bigger, so he agreed
without thinking further of his life. When the mother heard about this,
she almost fainted from fear and sorrow over the life of her only son.
“My son I do
not want you to endanger your life because of money. God is with us and
has never abandoned us even one day that we slept hungry. He will
continue to bless us as he did before. If you die, whom will I be left
with in this world my child? I am an old woman now and I cannot look
after myself.” The mother said in a great sorrow and in tears. “Mama
have no anxiety at all. I will be able to sleep in cold water the whole
night and I will not die.” The mother continued to beg the boy to change
his mind, but he would not hear of it. He was convinced that he would
be able to do it and earn that big amount of money which would free them
from all the money problems they were having.
From the
sympathy and fear over her son, the mother went to sit near the sea
where her son was deepened in the cold water. She could only see his
head swimming above the water. She decided to make a big fire when it
became dark in order to give light for her son to encourage him that his
mother was still there watching over him. The whole night the mother
did not sleep. She prayed the whole night begging God to sustain her son
in that big trial he was going through, and help him go through it
without losing his life since he did it for the love of his mother.
Through the mercy of God and through the prayers of a mother, the boy
survived the terrible cold all night through. He went to the rich man to
receive his money but the rich man had other arguments.
“You will
not get even a penny from me!” the rich man said. The boy was surprised
and asked the rich man, ”Why not your excellence? You promised to give
me 100,000 shillings, if I sleep in the cold see the whole night. The
whole night I spend in almost freezing water of the sea, you may ask
your own witnesses. Even my own mother spend the whole night at the
seaside.”
“There you
are! Indeed your mother made a big fire at the seaside to warm you up.
Is this what we agreed on, that your mother would make fire to warm you
up and then come and claim that you spent the night in the cold water
all the night? Do you think I am that stupid? Go away I will not pay you
anything.
The boy was
so angry, and he told his old neighbour Abunuasi about his anger. If
there were people whom this old man hated were the rich ones who liked
to oppress the poor instead of helping them. Abunuasi told the boy that
he should not be angry and that he would get his payments alright, that
Abunuasi would help him. He advised him first to take the matters to the
King of their land and hear what he would say. The boy followed the
advice of Abunuasi and went to the King and told him the whole incident
but when the king heard of the story, and from both sides, he decided
that the boy should actually not get the money since that is not what
they agreed upon. The boy went back to Abunuasi and told him what the
king said. Abunuasi was really shocked to hear the decision of a King.
He still advised the boy not to have any fear, he would help him still
to get his money. The boy promised Abunuasi to give him 20,000 if he
helps him.
Abunuasi
made a big party and invited many people, including the king and the
rich man. All were friends of Abunuasi. He slaughtered many goats,
chicken and prepared other things like rice, vegetables were cut into
pieces and all the things were put near a big fire but not in the fire
to cook. Meat was cut also into pieces and put in big pots. The visitors
came and all waited for the big party to eat and drink but were told to
wait. They waited the whole day and not even the smell of food did they
smell. Hunger started making them nervous. All Abunuasi told them was
“I beg your pardon, but the food has been cooking all this time but it
is still not ready. We have still to wait.” In the end they were all
angry and wanted to see the food which was cooking, so they stormed all
in the kitchen, only to see all the food prepared but uncooked and all
the pots stood near a big fire. The king being one of the people who
suffered hunger asked Abunuasi. “Abunuasi are you right in your head?
You have been telling us all this time that the food was cooking and why
is the fire put on the side of the food? The food cannot cook even in
hundred years! You are a mad man as the people say. You made us hungry
the whole day.”
“Do not be angry my King, the food will be ready very soon. Patience brings blessings your excellence” Abunuasi said.
“Stop your
foolishness and stupidity. This food will not cook at all. The food does
not even get warmth from the fire, even though it is big.
“Why would
the food not cook your excellence? You made a decision of a case of a
poor youth and this evil rich man, who made the boy to sleep in a cold
see the whole night. Due to his poverty and hunger he agreed. His mother
due to the love and fear of her son, went to watch over her son the
whole night lighting a big fire at the seaside in order to see her son’s
head the whole night to make sure that he was still alive. You decided
that he should not get even a penny because of the fire the mother
lighted. Therefore even this food will cook like how the fire heated the
sea water and made the boy warm as you ruled.
The
king was so ashamed by the statement made by Abunuasi in front of all
those who were invited, and he ordered the evil rich man to pay the poor
boy immediately what they had agreed. Abunuasi received a big present
and honour from the king due to his wisdom. Afterwards the food was
prepared and served and all were happy. They all thanked Abunuasi.